With recent advances in digital transmission technology, subscriber television systems are now capable of providing much more than traditional analog broadcast video. In implementing enhanced programming, the home communication terminal (“HCT”), otherwise known as the set-top box, has become an important computing device for accessing content services (and content within those services) and navigating a user through a maze of available services. In addition to supporting traditional analog broadcast video functionality, digital HCTs (or “DHCTs”) now also support an increasing number of two-way digital services such as video-on-demand and personal video recording.
Typically, a DHCT is connected to a cable or satellite, or generally, a subscriber television system, and includes hardware and software necessary to provide the functionality of the digital television system at the user's site. Some of the software executed by a DHCT can be downloaded and/or updated via the subscriber television system. Each DHCT also typically includes a processor, communication components, and memory, and is connected to a television set or other display device, such as a personal computer, and can be further connected to peripheral devices like portable audio players, printers, or digital cameras, among others. While many conventional DHCTs are stand-alone devices that are externally connected to a television set, a DHCT and/or its functionality may be integrated into a television or personal computer or even an audio device such as a programmable radio, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art.
There are a variety of peripheral devices available with varying formats for communication with client devices, such as DHCTs. For example, a peripheral device such as an MP3 player can use communication formats such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), Firewire (IEEE 1394), Bluetooth, as well as proprietary formats, among others. DHCTs equipped to communicate with peripheral devices, for example via a USB port, may either use a significant portion of memory to store the many varieties of device drivers to enable communication according to these formats, or operate with a limited selection of device drivers resulting in limited peripheral device compatibility. Thus, a need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned and/or other deficiencies and/or inadequacies.